


When A Crow Takes Flight

by KittedKat



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Basically no P5R spoilers because we're changing the P5 ending around a bit hee hee, Canon Divergence, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Persona 5 Spoilers, Reader is not a Persona user... unless ???, We're giving Goro a happy ending fuckers, it's what he deserves, no sumi in this story tho :((
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26127418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittedKat/pseuds/KittedKat
Summary: You're a Yongen resident and he's a famous ace detective.Somehow, you see through his carefully constructed web of lies.Will he let you break down the walls he has built? Or will the crow take flight and never look back?DISCONTINUED
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Reader, Akechi Goro/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	1. Boy, Why These Walls?

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fic, so please go easy on me! I’m not sure how the formatting on AO3 works yet, but I’ll do my best :) I’m also not sure where I’m going with this story, I’m kind of just experimenting, whoops. Please tell me when I make grammar mistakes, as English isn’t my first language!  
> Feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> Update: I know I promised I would update this story, but lately I just can't bring myself to write, and above all that my interest for Persona has waned lately. I'm so so sorry :((((( I'm going to call it a hiatus for the moment, and I'll see if I can write again after I play Scramble, but I'm not sure. I'm sorry !!!!!

You let out a deep sigh as you pushed the door to the small, run-down café open. The welcome smell of coffee and the familiar cozy warmth of Leblanc overtook your senses. _Finally. Today had been a long day_. Sojiro Sakura, your kind-of-boss and longtime family friend, was reading the daily newspaper at the bar. He was focused on a paragraph about some… upcoming congressman?

Well, your tired mind didn’t really allow you to care. He didn’t look up and merely hummed in acknowledgement. He was expecting you, after all. He didn’t remark about the fact that you still had your school uniform on, having rushed to the comfort of the café right after club activities ended. You took a short look around and – no customers. _That’s a relief, kind of_.

The lack of patrons wasn’t exactly surprising, given how tucked away the café was, but you’d never tell _him_ that. You were pretty sure he knew and didn’t give a damn, anyway. You dropped your school bag on the closest bar stool and sunk into one of the booth seats. Leblanc had always been the only place you could fully let your guard down. Another short glance around the place confirmed what you had noticed earlier.

“Where’s Akira?”

Usually, when you arrived, the frizzy-haired boy was already behind the bar helping Boss out with the dishes or brewing coffee for a customer. Sojiro looked up from his newspaper at the mention of his ward.

“That boy? He was out with his friends. He took the cat with him, too. Sure hope he isn’t getting himself into trouble.” He shook his head.

You almost laughed. ‘ _That boy_ ’ had only been staying with him for about three months and Sojiro was already attached to him. You had always known the ‘bitter old man’ had a sweet heart. You couldn’t blame him, though; Akira was quiet, easygoing and great to talk to. Never a hidden agenda, never any ulterior motives. He was a nice change of pace in a big, busy city like Tokyo. When you heard that he had a criminal record, you were surprised to say the least. He explained to you shortly after that he was falsely accused, though, and that just made you angry. He didn’t deserve what happened to him at all.

You, just like Akira, helped out at the café on somewhat busy days. Your coffee wasn’t nearly as good as his, but _your curry_ was to be reckoned with. You didn’t know exactly when you started helping Sojiro. It had been like this so long that it just seemed like you belonged here, and you (and Sojiro, though he’d never admit that) didn’t mind at all. The café was where you felt most at home, your safe place. With your apartment located in Yongen, it was easy to come to Leblanc right after school, like you did today.

You hadn’t noticed how deep in thought you were until the little bell at the door rang. You and Sojiro both looked up as Akira entered the café, with Morgana poking his head out of the bag, like always. The cat happily meowed and hopped out after seeing you. You smiled and scratched under his chin as he purred.

“Hi.” Akira had never been a man of many words, and, right now, you couldn’t be happier about that.

“Hi.” You gave him a tired grin. He sat down across from you and you rested your chin on your palm while you two talked for a little while. He seemed really tired too. _Wasn’t he just hanging out with his friends?_ You quickly disposed of the thought. Maybe he was just busy with school, like you.

It was about time for the regulars to start coming in, usually pompous middle-aged men and elderly people that had lived in Yongen their entire lives. It didn’t take him long to notice that you were exhausted, so he wordlessly offered to take your ‘shift’ by putting on his own apron. He was always so observant. You switched on the little TV as Sojiro usually did when the regulars came and decided to at least help him a little by doing the dishes. Sojiro looked at you and Akira and smiled. _He sure was grateful for the both of you_. He told you after a while that he needed to run groceries, and left the store to you.

The evening progressed like normal, with patrons coming and going at a steady pace. Akira chatted with the ones he knew while you idly watched the talk show that was on while doing the dishes. You vaguely recognized the guest… _Akechi_? Yeah. That was his name. The detective had been rapidly growing in popularity lately, with his negative stance on that new Phantom Thieves group being what helped him to the top. You didn’t really care for either side, anyway. Besides, it wasn’t even sure that these Thieves even existed, and the power to change one's heart or whatever it was they did, sure sounded strange. But Akechi wanting them to be arrested and tried in court? Wasn’t that a little too far? You soon lost interest in the show and focused on doing the dishes once again. You barely even noticed the door opening and a customer stepping in.

You also didn’t notice Akira’s surprised face at _who_ it was that just entered the café. You heard Akira exchange light conversation with the guest, but you didn’t pay attention to what exactly they were saying until you heard the patron mutter a bashful–

“It seems I’m unwelcome no matter where I go…”

Wait… what _exactly_ was Akira saying to this person? He couldn’t be scaring off any potential new customers. _Sojiro really needed them, you know_. It was more your role to entertain patrons, anyway. You mustered up the last bit of energy you had left and turned to Akira with a cheeky smile.

“Hey now, Kurusu, you better not be sca–…”

The person sitting at the other side of the bar turned towards you and curiously regarded you, probably confused as to why you, the dish-washing-lady that had been so quiet the entire time, had changed in demeanor so suddenly. You looked him in the eyes and…

 _Huh…?_ Did you know this guy from somewhere? Brown hair… That uniform… The briefcase… You looked at him. And then at the TV, that was still showing the interview. And then back to him.

_“Goro Akechi?”_

He didn’t seem surprised that you recognized him. He looked, kind of… disappointed? In fact, it seemed like he was actually hoping you didn’t know him at all. _That’s kind of unlikely when your face is on TV 24/7, dude._

“Ah, yes, that’s me.” He smiled. _Oh_. That didn’t look genuine at all. Shit. Should you apologize? Should you just… go back to dish washing? You froze as you gave him a small panicked grimace. He probably wanted to be left alone, why else would someone like him come here? He probably noticed your internal struggle and chuckled. He held his hand to his mouth to cover a smile. Wait… Was he amused this? By you? Your cheeks turned a hot red, and you were about to turn back to the sink when he spoke;

“Kurusu-san and I were just discussing the Phantom Thieves. If it’s not a problem… would you mind joining in? I’d love to hear your opinion, too.” At first you just stared at him, dumbfounded. “What? Me?” You pointed at yourself. He nodded.

And that’s how it started. Here, he was just like on TV; Quick-witted, funny, but always polite. He’d shoot you questions, and Akira, seeming to be his perfect match, shot back just as quickly. It almost looked like a duel. You found yourself stumbling over your words and struggling to keep up with them and chose to observe him instead. _So… he’s famous, huh?_ He certainly looked like he took great care of how he looked. _Isn’t this guy around the same age as me? He looks like he has his shit together._

The longer you watched, the more you noticed that something was off. He was nice, yes, but… everything about him seemed so… perfect? Every word that came out of his mouth, every little movement of his hands, every sip of his coffee seemed so calculated. Like he had practiced. Like he was on a stage, an actor. But maybe that’s just what it’s like to be a celebrity. You probably need to be careful about what you say, right?

Still... no matter how you twisted and turned, he still kind of put you off. He was trying _so hard_ to be liked. Or maybe you were overthinking it.

He stayed in Leblanc until closing time. You hadn’t even noticed how late it had gotten until Sojiro announced that he was going to close up the café. Akechi bid you and Akira farewell and left with a small wave. After the door closed, you snapped out of a daze you didn’t even know you were in.

On the way home, you couldn't help but think about your 'encounter' with the detective. (If you could even call it that.) He didn't seem closed off at all, but at the same time it was clear that there were big, broad, invisible walls between the two of you that seemed like they could never be broken. You'd never admit it, but some part of you hoped he'd come back.

Goro Akechi intrigued you. There was something about his eyes that was unreachable, so far off. But you were determined to find out exactly _who_ he was.

Goro, on the other hand, decided he had found his go-to café. For the coffee and… the peculiar people running it.


	2. I Never Got Your Name

The second time you ever met Goro Akechi was five days after he first stopped by Leblanc. 

It was late – about an hour until closing time – when the door to the café suddenly opened and a cool gust of evening wind made its way inside and tousled your hair.

You almost didn’t believe your eyes when you saw who stood in the entrance; But he gave you his signature TV-smile and wave and you were sure it was him. He stepped inside and you immediately realized that this setting was so not _him_. In all of the interviews you had seen him in he was always surrounded by people: his fans, reporters, bodyguards. _I guess I’ve just gotten used to always seeing him in a crowd._

But in the half-empty café (or half-full, as Sojiro would probably say), he looked out of place. Like a swan in a desert. The warm lighting of the café hit him differently than the spotlights. 

Not that it was a _bad_ thing.

You almost felt sorry for him when you saw him glance around the café; He was probably looking for Akira, who was hanging out with his friends again. He usually stayed out pretty late.

“Are you looking for Kurusu? I’m afraid you’re out of luck. He probably won’t be back until after closing time.” You flashed him an apologetic grin.

After you spoke, his gaze finally landed on you and he moved to sit in the same stool as he did five days ago. He put his briefcase on the ground next to him and, unlike last time, you stood close enough to see the big _A._ on the front.

_Heh. It kind of looks like discount Avengers merch._

You honestly didn’t know if you should start a conversation with him, or if he just wanted to quietly enjoy a cup of coffee by himself, but your thoughts got cut short when–

“Actually, one of the regulars from last time told me that your curry is absolutely divine. I was hoping I could try it for myself.” He looked at Sojiro, who usually handled the cooking but was talking to an elderly couple and Boss nodded at you.

“Go ahead, girl. Show him what I taught ya.” And turned back to chat to his customers.

“S-sure! No problem at all!” You were kind of taken aback by his request. You hadn’t seen him talk to any of the regulars at all? Maybe this was just his ‘detective stuff’ everyone always talked about. _But, more importantly: Why were you suddenly nervous? It wasn’t like you had never made curry in your life. Well, no one had specifically requested you before. Maybe it was that._

You still weren’t quite sure how you should talk to him. He _was_ a third year and a celebrity, after all. (You had done your research after last time, not like you’d ever admit to doing that).

Maybe you should be extra polite…? No. That didn’t sound right. You could only imagine that he probably wanted to be treated like a normal person. That was why he came to Leblanc specifically, after all. You were so deep in thought that you almost cut your finger while slicing vegetables for the curry.

“You seem to be lost in thought.” He smiled. “Be careful.” You let out an awkward laugh at his warning. 

_Jeez. Doesn’t he smile the exact same way every time? The same tilt of his head and the same gloved hand to cover his laugh?_ You noticed just in time that his brow furrowed just a little. _Shit_. You were staring. Quick, quick! Back to the vegetables. Back to the curry. Way to make a good impression. 

He seemed to have forgotten about your little mess-up quickly though, and Akechi, as soon as he got his plate, asked you what you thought of the Phantom Thieves, just like he had done with Akira. You smiled lightly.

_It was almost like you were being interrogated._

While you were doing your research about Akechi, news about the Phantom Thieves was almost impossible to ignore. So far, they had 'changed the hearts' of Suguru Kamoshida, the horrible, rapist volleyball coach from Shujin, and Ichiryusai Madarame, the famous artist that confessed to using his pupils and claiming their work as his own, and the Thieves were expected to strike again soon. The general public was still not quite sure what to think of them yet, and that was probably at least partially Akechi's fault. But the more you read up on them, the more you found yourself to be on their side. _To help the weak and make bad people atone for their sins… isn’t what justice is about?_

You were almost embarrassed to admit it to him, because he made it _very_ clear that he was against them. To your surprise (and relief) he didn’t seem to mind and was instead intrigued by your change in opinion, as you didn’t show a lot of interest in either sides a couple of days ago.

Even though you thought the detective’s smiles and overly polite demeanor were a bit _too much,_ you still couldn’t help but to be roped into the conversation. It only made sense that he went to the most prestigious high school in Tokyo, he was _smart_. Confident and well-spoken, too. You had remembered reading online that he came from an incredibly poor family and had to struggle his way to the top. As much as you felt that something was _off_ about him, his past made you respect the person that he was now even more.

He probably _had_ to be on guard around people he didn’t know well, like you. _Why did that kind of disappoint you? You had only met him twice._

He almost forgot to eat his curry (not that you’d let that happen) as you talked to him for the rest of the evening. He carried the conversation with ease, always having something to say while, at the same time, being prepared to let you speak. He was like the ideal conversation partner. The way he talked today was different than what you’d seen with Akira. It was like he changed the entire way he approached people based on their behavior towards him.

 _That has to get annoying for him, doesn't it?_ In the end, you didn’t pay a lot of mind to it as Leblanc’s closing time slowly approached. The other patrons had already long left the café.

There was a comfortable silence as the talking had come to a standstill. He looked out of the window, at the people passing by, most of them tired and going home from work. _Wasn’t he tired? Balancing school, social life and work all at once? It must be absolutely exhausting. I feel kind of bad for him._

He looked back at you now, with a sudden intensity that caught you off guard. He had been so calm and collected all evening.

“I know it may be weird to ask now, but last time I was here _and_ today I got so caught up in our conversation that I never got your name.” He rubbed the back of his neck and almost seemed _embarrassed_ at not having asked sooner.

You told him your name, and it felt like, this time, the smile he gave you was real, even if it was for just a short moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all!! Thank you for the kudos and nice comments on my first chapter! I was very nervous about posting it since I've never written fan fiction before. I already have a few new chapters planned, I'm excited for you all to read them!  
> However, I'll be going to school again so the time I have to write is probably going to be cut short a lot (I'm a senior). I'll be doing my very best to get new chapters out though!  
> As always, please don't hesitate to talk to me!  
> Lots of love, Kat


	3. The Boy In The Attic And His Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of the previous chapter! Enjoy!  
> I have a lot of future chapter already planned, you're in for quite a ride ;)  
> I also have plans for another story that I'd love for you all to read soon.  
> Love, Kat

_You told him your name, and it felt like, this time, the smile he gave you was real, even if it was for just a short moment._

Akechi was still seated in front of you, with his hands politely folded, legs crossed, and a remnant of a smile on his face. It seemed like right now was the only moment that was _just right_ , and you were about to ask him if he’d come to Leblanc another time, if he’d let you make him curry again, if he’d talk to _you_ again, if maybe, just maybe, he’d let you get to know him better…

But then the café’s door loudly slammed open, startling both Akechi and you, although he did a way better job at hiding it, while you were sure you visibly gasped and _jumped_. Not that the very familiar people who walked in had noticed–

“ _Yooooo (Y/N)! Long time no see!”_ Of course, you rolled your eyes; The only person who could’ve slammed the door open that hard could’ve been no one else than Ryuji, Akira’s best friend. Right behind him was a girl with long blonde pigtails who whacked Ryuji lightly in the back of his head– that was Ann, a classmate of Akira, and then Yusuke, the former pupil of that deceiving _Madarame,_ stepped in.

Yusuke was quite new to the group, and between the already eye-catching people Akira called his friends, the painter stood out _even more_. You had always wondered how they had gotten to know Yusuke. The eccentric artist didn’t go to school at Shujin, after all. Akira and Ryuji didn’t seem like the kind of people who’d appreciate the fine arts very much, either.

Morgana, who poked his head out of Akira’s bag, meowed loudly and it almost seemed like he was scolding Ryuji, as the vulgar boy immediately shot him a killer glare back. The friends walked into Leblanc, hurriedly hanging their jackets on the coat rack and putting their school bags in a corner, and you noticed how the group was slightly bigger than what you were used to. You counted each member: One, Akira; Two, Ann; Three, Ryuji; Four, Yusuke; Five… wait, five? You hadn't noticed a new girl that closed the door behind the group. She blended into the environment way more than any of the others.

 _Was that a new friend of Akira's?_ You had certainly never seen her in Leblanc before. She had short, brown hair and looked very well-kempt and orderly. She was also dressed in a Shujin uniform. You hadn’t noticed her walk in with the rest, as she kept to herself in the back of the pack and looked around the small café with a gleam in her eyes.

 _Damn_ , Akira sure makes friends quickly _._

You let out a small _tsk_ , raised your eyebrow and and turned to Ryuji.

“Ryuji! You know what I always say, if the door breaks one day, you–”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be the one to pay for it, I know.” He grinned at you, knowing you weren’t even mad at him in the first place.

As much as you acted like their presence in the café disrupted the peace, you loved having Akira’s friends over. The place always got a lot brighter and livelier when they were around. They were great company, albeit really, _really_ loud. But that was mostly Ryuji and Ann.

Ryuji was about to make another quip, but then his eyes landed on Akechi, who had kind of gotten lost amongst the ruckus the friends had made upon their arrival, and the mood of the whole group immediately went sour.

“What’s _he_ doin’ here?” Ryuji shoved his hands into his pockets aggressively.

“ _Ryuji_!” Ann warned. That’s _right_ , this was the first time the group had seen Akechi in the café. You found it kind of weird how they had suddenly gone from joking around to eerily quiet. They were never this quiet.

Did they… not like him? Had they met him before? Akira was the only one who wasn’t glaring daggers at the detective, who looked like he knew this was going to happen.

Akechi had an almost apologetic look in his eyes. “Sorry, our conversation just got a little out of hand. I probably should have left a while ago.”

“Hey, wait, you don’t have to leave! I’m sure Ryuji didn’t mean it like that! There’s plenty of room inside the café anyways–” You shook your head and held up your hands. You were still _very_ confused as to why the group seemed so cautious of him, but you didn’t really want your conversation to end yet, it was _just_ getting good.

Before you could even explain yourself any further, the detective had already grabbed his briefcase off the floor. He had not taken off his jacket the entire time he was in the café, you noticed now. He made his way to door while slightly ducking his head, awkwardly squeezing past a stone-faced Yusuke, who had his arms crossed defensively over his chest. You looked down at the bar and noticed he had left an _enormous_ tip: way too much for a simple plate of curry. Dear Lord. How much money does this guy _make_? Wasn't he just a high schooler?

“I’ll be taking my leave now, but thank you for the delicious curry, (Y/N).” He looked content that he could finally use your name, and before you could say another thing, he nodded shortly to the group and walked away. They watched him go with contempt.

“What the hell, guys? You can’t go scaring away customers. You all know Sojiro would be angry if he saw that.” You were happy he’d already went home to care for… well, they didn’t need to know about _that_ yet.

Akira was the first to apologize on behalf of his friends, and explained that they had met the detective at their trip to the TV station, and that they had disagreed over a question that the host of the talk show had asked Akira. _But that still didn’t explain Yusuke and the new girl having the same expression on their faces, though. Something wasn’t right here, they were hiding something._

You didn’t have much time to let your mind wander, however, as the group quickly settled into the booths and Ryuji and Ann immediately started whining about their forgotten homework that was due tomorrow (like they always did). You decided to close up Leblanc for the day and Akira put on his apron to brew coffee for his guests. You made some extra curry with the ingredients you had left from when you made Akechi’s, and the friends devoured it all in record time, the encounter with Akechi completely forgotten.

You introduced yourself to the new girl, who politely told you that her name was Makoto Niijima ( _Niijima? Had you heard that name before somewhere?_ ), and that she was Shujin’s student council president. After hearing this, you jokingly turned to Akira, who was pouring coffee for Yusuke, and teased:

“I guess your delinquent ass will at least stay out of trouble now then, huh, Kurusu?”

He just scoffed, but even though he had his back turned to you, you knew he had a smile on his face.

You turned and laughed at a bewildered Makoto, who sat next to Ann and tried to help her trough her Math homework, before Ann gave up completely and dropped her head on the table with a _bang_ while complaining about _how hard this stupid subject was_. Ryuji followed her lead on banged his head on the table a few times for good measure. Makoto looked at you with a quizzical look on her face. You didn't even try to hide your laughter this time. She was probably not quite used to the strange group’s antics yet. You just shrugged.

“Welcome to Leblanc.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (19/09/2020) Hi everyone!!   
> I know I haven't updated in a while but don't worry! I'm writing the next chapter, but it's a slow process because school started again. I'm committed to this story and I will finish it :)   
> Thank you for waiting <3  
> Love, Kat


	4. Late Trains And Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG AAAA I STARTED SENIOR YEAR AND THINGS ARE BUSYYYY  
> So I wrote a chapter that was a bit longer <3  
> Don't worry, I'm not giving up on this story. Things will just take a lil longer.  
> As always, thank you for reading and enjoy :) 
> 
> PS: Sooo… I thought the clothes Goro always wears was his uniform… but apparently it’s not??? I don't know anymore. Whoops. Just pretend he goes to a really prestigious school, ok? Lmao

The Phantom Thieves had changed another heart, and it was plastered all over the news; Junya Kaneshiro, the mafia boss that had basically run the entire criminal underworld in Shibuya, had admitted to all his crimes and was immediately apprehended by the police and locked up. The Thieves were praised for his arrest, as a calling card had appeared around all of Shibuya just a few days before. This mysterious vigilante group could no longer be ignored by the general public. Everyone was talking about them now, even on the train platform you were currently on.

You tiredly scrolled through your phone, only to find more and more and more _and more_ articles about his strangely sudden confession and how the Thieves may (or may not) have been behind it. This was a hot topic; It was only normal every news source threw itself on the subject like a hungry dog on a piece of meat. This sort of stuff made money.

You sighed, pocketed the device, and looked up at the electronic display board above you for what seemed like the hundredth time. Your train had still not arrived. Rows of students, businessmen and tourists stood crammed together on the platform.

There had been another rampage accident yesterday. One of those weird, unexplainable psychotic breakdowns that left the victims completely brainwashed and unable to think for themselves. The incidents had been going on for _months_ now. It was strange to think these incidents were the talk of the town just weeks ago, and now laid discarded on the side to make place for the now much more interesting news of the Phantom Thieves. The accidents had caused significant delays, which was especially remarkable in a country like Japan, where the subway system was usually impeccable.

There were so many strange things happening at once, and the news had caught up on that _too_ ; Some even went as far as claiming the Phantom Thieves were behind the incidents. It wasn’t a very farfetched thought – there were some obvious similarities between the two – the inexplicability and other-worldliness the two topics exuded were some things often referred to by self-acclaimed detectives and journalists.

You honestly didn’t know what to make of it; You liked what the Phantom Thieves stood for at first, but if the two were really connected…

You sighed again as a voice on the intercom announced with dozens of apologies that the trains were not going to arrive anytime soon. If you still wanted to make it today, you would probably have to walk to school – which was about an hour and a half away on foot.

_Jeez. You were so not looking forward to this. At least the weather was nice enough.  
_

Pulling on the strap of your bookbag and adjusting your shirt, you kept your head down and excused yourself to every person you walked past and bumped into as weaved through the crowd to make your way off the train platform.

On the escalator up, you took another look at your phone. 9:46. Yeah, you were already very late for school, and you weren’t the only one. You looked over your shoulder and saw unhappy students from the same school as you all over the platform. It looked like they were considering walking (or just skipping) too. You scanned the crowd of people until your eyes landed on a very familiar uniform and a mop of brown hair.

Before you could even realize what you were doing, you were bounding back down the escalator, completely oblivious to the weird stares the others were giving you.

It was nearly two weeks after he had awkwardly left the café and he hadn’t been to Leblanc since. You had a feeling Akira’s friends had left a really bad first impression ( _duh_ ) and felt really guilty that he might have felt forced to leave because of them.

You just wanted to apologize. Nothing more. It’s not like you spent every shift nervously watching the door and waiting for him to walk through, only to be disappointed when it turned out to be the elderly couple that always stays 5 hours for a single cup of coffee.

What? You couldn’t help it. He was just so intriguing; There was something so mysterious and new about him. You had only properly talked to Goro once, but he had left such a strange impression that you desperately wanted to know more about him. The rumors and wiki pages could only capture so much of his personality. The way Akira’s friends had reacted also didn’t help to lessen your curiosity.

You stumbled to a stop in front of him, and immediately noticed how he looked surprised to see you, which wasn't weird, as you had almost fallen flat on your face trying to be as fast as possible.

_Ha! You were able to catch him off guard!_

“(Y/N)-san.” He spoke quietly. He was wearing his summer uniform and carrying the same briefcase he always did. He also looked… tired? He had slight dark circles under his eyes that he had obviously tried (and failed) to cover up with concealer, like he had stayed up late the night before. Well, it was probably just his detective work keeping him up.

You were glad he was at the back of the platform, where there weren’t many people that had witnessed your semi-frantic dash down the escalator.

“I–… I’m… I’m sorry.” You put your hand on your chest and tried to catch your breath. You probably shouldn’t have run down that fast.

It also dawned on you now that you had absolutely no idea what you wanted to say to him. Should you just apologize for what happened and then go? But what if he still didn’t come back to Leblanc? What if you never saw him again after this? Tokyo was big, and the chances of you ever encountering him at the station again like this were almost none.

The detective steadied himself and raised his eyebrow, as if he was waiting for you to speak. _Fuck_ _it._ You bowed deeply and blurted out: 

“Please come back to Leblanc sometime!”

You mentally facepalmed. The words had left your mouth before you had even realized it. _Great_ , you thought, _I just messed up_. _That was way too straight-forward and–_

Your thoughts blanked as you saw him smile. Like, actually smile. It was an excuse for a chuckle, but still. _You made him laugh! You did that!_

“I’m not going to lie, you caught me off guard there.” He tilted this head with a polite smile. It was clear that was as much at a loss for words as you. You rubbed the back of your neck bashfully. You still needed to apologize, you realized. That was what you had originally came to do, after all.

“Wait, wait, that’s not what… that’s not all I wanted to say. I wanted to apologize for my friends basically chasing you out of the café. I know it was very rude of them, but they can just be so impulsive sometimes and… I just wanted to say sorry.” The sentence was very clumsily stitched together, as you didn’t really have time to think about what you were going to say, but you thought it brought your point across well enough.

He laughed again, his Detective Prince laugh, this time.

“I wasn’t planning on never coming back, you know. I’ve been very busy… combining school with work.”

_So… he didn’t just stop coming because of Ryuji and the rest? That was a relief._

“That’s good. I’m glad.” You breathed, not really knowing what else to say. You’d told him everything you wanted, and now the adrenaline and the boldness you’d felt earlier on the escalator had run out. You looked at your shoes, the wall, the other people on the platform… everywhere but his face.

Should you just leave now? You glanced at your watch. 10:06. You had that Physics test at 12:00 that you really didn’t want to miss…

Oh, that’s right. You were planning on walking to school because the trains hadn’t arrived yet. You had completely forgotten about that after you saw Goro on the platform. You knew you had to leave now, but that’d mean leaving him and your chance to properly talk to him again. There was only one thing you could think of that could work...

“The announcer said the trains were probably not going to show up for a long time. If you still plan on going to school, maybe we could walk... together? I know it’s a long walk, but it should be more enjoyable if you have someone to talk to…”

You started speaking without thinking again. That seemed to be a habit of yours whenever you were around him. You also hoped he hadn’t caught on to the fact that you basically revealed the fact that you already knew how far away your schools were from each other – well, who were you kidding. He was a detective, and he had probably figured it out a while ago.

Goro visibly thought about it for a moment, before catching you off guard and simply saying: “Yes. I’d like that.” And leading the way towards the escalator.

As you two stepped on, he turned around to talk to you. He stood two steps ahead of you and had to look down.

“After all, I’d be a fool if I passed up _your_ curry.”

Even though you had jumped into the initial conversation so haphazardly, Goro never allowed to let it get awkward or silent while the two of you walked. Even though your conversation wasn’t solely about the Phantom Thieves anymore, you still stuck close to topics that had to do with current events. That was fine, though, as Goro occasionally let very small facts about himself slip into the conversation.

“You live in an apartment? In the middle of _Tokyo_?” You gasped, and mumbled under your breath. “How much do your parents _make_? An apartment in central _Tokyo_? That’s not cheap.”

“Oh, no, I live by myself. My parents aren’t really… in the picture anymore.”

Oh. _No_. He’d heard you. “I’m sorry, that was really insensitive and I–”

He cut you off with a smile. “It doesn’t bother me, don’t worry. Living alone has its perks.”

Maybe you should have thought about what you should’ve said before actually saying it. Still, curiosity got the best of you–

“You live by yourself? Doesn’t that get… lonely?”

“Oh, I see people all the time. I do interviews basically every other day, you know. Especially now that the Phantom Thieves have gained all of this popularity.”

“No… I mean, isn’t living alone, being a student and working hard to combine? Don’t you do anything for fun sometimes? Like hang out with friends?”

“I go to the café.”

“You know that’s not what I mean either.”

_Were you pushing too hard? You were definitely pushing too hard._

He paused and rubbed his neck awkwardly with a chuckle.

“Well, in my line of work, it is sometimes better not to make too many connections. I do cycle around Tokyo when I have some free time. I find it quite relaxing.”

You smiled wide. He looked a bit confused at your reaction.

“Oh! That’s really nice!”

Aha! Something personal! Finally! You had kind of forced it out of him, but… you felt accomplished.

“This is where I have to turn.”

“Huh?” You snapped your head up, not even realizing you had been looking at your shoes the entire time. He was standing still, several meters behind you. You looked behind him and saw his school building. Right, this is where his turn was. His school was closer to the station than yours.

“Right, uh…” Again, your conversation had been cut short. You didn’t want it to be over too early again.

“I’ll see you again, soon.” The determined declaration had you stunned, and you couldn’t bring yourself to do anything other than raising your hand as a ‘goodbye’. He smiled, waved, and turned around. Like always.

After he was almost out of sight, you realized suddenly that you hadn’t asked for his contact information, you hadn’t asked him anything.

“Wait!”, you shouted. You didn't care about the other students giving you weird looks. You wondered why you felt so bold today.

He stopped but didn’t turn around. You somehow knew he was listening anyway.

“Will you come back? To Leblanc, I mean?” This time, he did turn around. His eyes were honest and true.

“I promise.”

You just silently prayed he would stick to his promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also yes Goro (tries and fails) to wear make-up what about it


End file.
